Covering the World of Communication Sciences and Disorders

News in Brief: November 20, 2012

Caffeine's Brain Buzz

Research links caffeine consumption to a reduced risk of Azheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Researchers gave caffeine to one of two groups of mice. Both groups were exposed to hypoxia, simulating an interruption of breathing or blood flow, and then allowed to recover. The caffeine-treated mice recovered their ability to form a new memory 33% faster than the non-caffeine-treated mice.

What Defines Bullying?

What is considered bullying by one adult isn't necessarily considered bullying by another. In a recent poll from the University of Michigan, 95% of adults said schools should take action if a student makes another student afraid for his or her physical safety. However, only 56% said isolating a student socially also should prompt school intervention. Eighty-one percent said schools should intervene when someone humiliates another student, and 76% called for intervention when someone spreads rumors.

ADHD Years Later

Men who were diagnosed as children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) appear to have significantly poorer educational, occupational, and social outcomes than peers without ADHD. A 33-year follow-up study compared 135 men diagnosed with ADHD at an average age of 8 to 136 men without ADHD. The ADHD group had an average of two fewer years of schooling, significantly fewer higher-education degrees, and a divorce rate of 9.6% compared with 2.9% of those without ADHD. Visit the Archives of General Psychiatry.